ACN chieftain blames Oyo doctors’ strike on PDP

By Ola Ajayi
IBADAN—AS the strike embarked upon by the Association of Medical and Dental Officers, AMDO, Oyo State branch, enters day 7, a chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Olufemi Lanlehin, has said the strike could have been prevented if the ruling PDP had visionary leaders.

He said this as he sympathised with thousands of patients in the state hospitals, asking them to pray for a change of leadership.

Doctors’ demand
The doctors withdrew their services one week ago, saying until their four demands were met, they would not go back to work.

They are demanding for the immediate employment of at least 100 doctors to cushion the effect of the acute shortage of personnel; implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS; reversal of arbitrary taxation as well as payment of arrears of CONMESS from January, 2010.

According to Lanlehin, the strike was another confirmation of bad leadership which voters in the state should use to reject come 2011 elections.

Lanlehin, who is a governorship aspirant of ACN in the state, advised the state Governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala not to toy or play politics with the health of the people, because they did not deserve the kind of ill-treatment being meted to them now.

He also sympathised with the doctors in the state who are claiming that they are the least paid across the country, adding that “no sector in the state is functional at the moment as a result of bad governance.” Cheif Lanihin asked them to endure a little more for the enthronement of visionary leaders which only ACN could produce.

He used the opportunity to urge all voters in the state to shed off the garment of apathy to the political process and register en masse to enable them change their destinies which the ruling party had messed up.

The former adviser to Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu said the State Government had made so much noise about road rehabilitation but majority of the roads were impassable three months after the so called reconstruction.

At this age when other states in the federation are proud of many life transforming projects, he said it was laughable that the current administration could be beating its chest

On the appointment of caretakers to man the affairs of the local government areas in the state, he said the governor lacked the power to do so.